Equine Health Texas

Want to stay updated on current New World screwworm (NWS) news?

USDA's screwworm.gov serves as a center of NWS information for animal owners and veterinarians. To see the pest's current status in Mexico, visit: https://bit.ly/NWSCurrentStatusPage

Social media has exploded over the weekend with concern about the Texas Veterinary Board’s proposed changes to musculoskeletal manipulation, holistic support and PEMF.

Today is the last day to send comment to

[email protected]

You can read the full
proposal here;

https://veterinary.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/chapter-571-proposed-draft-updated-3-9-26.pdf

What does this mean for horse owners? Essentially it proposes that all alternative care falls under the jurisdiction of veterinary medicine. This means your massage therapist, PEMF practitioner, non-DVM chiropractor would essentially be out of work overnight.

It means direct veterinary supervision for any non-DVM practitioner with the attending veterinarian writing a treatment plan for every approved horse. Our role is supportive care, not treatment. Anyone who is adequately qualified knows how to identify a contraindication, terminate a supportive session and refer back to the DVM. Anyone working with injuries and rehab should already be working under DVM guidance with the horse assessed and cleared prior to supportive care.

I am not completely anti-regulation. It’s important that people working on horses are adequately qualified and insured for the services they are providing. Creating some kind of registry would be a purely
administrative task and would not place additional burden on our already strained veterinary profession.

We all know that there is a shortage of DVMs and that emergency care has become limited even in areas with historically good coverage. Why do we want to give our veterinarians more paperwork simply to carry out the jobs we are already doing?

NBCAAM already provides a pathway for consistent qualification, as does the AOPP for PEMF. If the board seeks better regulation of practitioners, those would be good places to start.

What can horse owners do?
Ensure the professionals you employ are adequately qualified and insured. How much people charge is not always an accurate reflection of their skill or professional status.

Send your thoughts on restricting supportive care for your animals to the Veterinary Board by the end of today.

🛑The TAHC conducts road stops to help ensure the health of livestock and exotic livestock in Texas. To learn more about the documentation you need to move your animals, visit: https://www.tahc.texas.gov/regs/entry.html

On January 30, 2026, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced a shift in New World screwworm (NWS) sterile fly dispersal efforts into Texas. To stop the northern spread of NWS, the new dispersal area, or polygon, will include operations about 50 miles into Texas, along the U.S. border with the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. NWS have not been detected in Texas, but South Texans may see preventative sterile fly deployments in their area.

Read the full animal health alert here: https://bit.ly/NWSSterileFliesAHA

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FpRvbeX4u/

Tying Up Loose Ends: Equine Myopathies A review of common equine myopathies and how to diagnose and manage them.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CFRArthqt/

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) officials confirmed equine infectious anemia (EIA) in three quarter horses on a Wichita County premises January 21, 2026. These are the first confirmed cases of EIA in Texas this year.

Read the full press release here: https://bit.ly/EIAWichitaCo

💧 𝐃𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬?

Soaking feed or utilizing mashes is a common practice intended to increase water intake in horses - but does it actually help?

I decided to take a dive into the research, as many horse owners soak feed in the winter, particularly during cold weather snaps, to encourage water intake. And while digging, I came across two studies you may find interesting!

🧪𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟏 (𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥., 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓)
The first study took place in Florida, where the average ambient temperature during the study was 55°F (13°C). This research evaluated horses consuming soaked pelleted feed, alfalfa cubes, or beet pulp in a 2:1 ratio of water to concentrate.

This study found that horses rapidly self-regulated voluntary water intake based on the amount of water provided in the meal. This means, when water was added to their feed, they voluntarily drank less so total water consumption remained the same.

This was shown as horses on dry feed had a voluntary water intake of 32.2 L while horses on soaked feed reduced voluntary water intake to 25.4 L to accommodate the ~6 L of water provided in the mash, for a total water intake of 31.5 L.

But that brings us to the second study 👇

❄️ 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟐 (𝐑𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟑)
This study evaluated seasonal differences in water intake during the fall (55°F; 12.8 °C) and winter (-4 to 33°F; -20 to 0.67°C) in Wisconsin. Horses were fed a pelleted concentrate at 0.5% body weight, with soaked feed provided at 2 L water/kg feed.

This study found that horses drank:
🍁 29.3 L/day in the fall
❄️ 24.7 L/day in the winter

This decrease supports previous findings that water intake drops by approximately 6–12% during the cold winter months.

However, this study also evaluated soaked vs dry feed.

While no difference in voluntary water intake was observed during the fall trial, horses in the winter consumed more water when eating a mash (26.9 L) compared to when consuming dry feed (22.4 L), a difference of about 1.2 gallons per day. The study found that horses consuming the mash drank equal to or more water than horses consuming the dry grain, in addition to the water they consumed in their feed.

✨𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞-𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞
Cold weather can reduce voluntary water intake in horses, but feeding a mash during winter can help combat that decline. In more mild weather, however, soaking feeds likely does not increase total water intake, as horses will self-regulate.

Will these studies make you more likely to soak you feeds - why or why not?

Stay warm out there!
Dr. DeBoer

Ferreira N, Binder D, Garbati IH, Lance JM, Warren LK. Effect of soaking feed on water intake and hydration in horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2025 May 1;148:105449.

Rucker NK, Hiney KM. Voluntary water intake in horses when fed a dry versus mash grain in two different seasons. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2013 May;33(5):355-6.

🔎Spot it. Report it. Don’t move it. Treat it.

Following the necessary steps to prevent New World screwworm (NWS) helps protect Texas animal agriculture.

❗️As a reminder, NWS has not been found in Texas.

While no cases of New World screwworm have been found in Texas, the TAHC urges livestock producers and animal owners to stay alert. With recent detections of New World screwworm in Tamaulipas, Mexico, regular monitoring and prompt wound care remain essential to protecting animal health.

Visit screwworm.gov to stay updated and informed.

Spot on!

🐴 Colic: Top 5 Do’s & Don’ts

It’s been a hectic few weeks of emergency visits — and (as always!) colic has been a big part of it. So here are my Top 5 Do’s & Don’ts when you suspect colic 👇

✅ DOs

1️⃣ CALL EARLY — and please do NOT text.
Colic can change quickly. Early advice gives us the best chance of a good outcome.

If it concerns you enough to type it… it concerns me enough that you should CALL 📞

I’d love to say I sit staring at my phone 24/7 waiting for texts… but sadly I do occasionally treat other horses. And sleep. 😴 So a call is always best!

2️⃣ Remove all feed.
Take away hay, hard feed & grass until your horse is assessed. Water is fine unless advised otherwise.

3️⃣ Check vital signs (if safe).
Heart rate, temperature, gum colour & behaviour really help me triage your case.

4️⃣ Gentle walking ONLY if they’re thrashing
🚫 Do NOT walk a horse into exhaustion.
👉 If they’re lying down quietly, it’s absolutely fine to let them rest.

5️⃣ Get ready for my arrival.
Lights on, phone handy, clear directions — especially in the middle of the night!

⸻

❌ DON’Ts

1️⃣ Don’t panic.
Calm human = calmer horse.

2️⃣ Don’t give meds unless I’ve advised you.
They can mask important signs.
(If another vet has left you with or advised you to give medications — call them.)

3️⃣ Don’t force them to “walk it out.”
If they’re resting quietly, let them.

4️⃣ Don’t try internet cures.
Please skip the oil, beer, turmeric, magic potions or DIY tubing. These can cause serious harm.

5️⃣ Don’t assume 💩 = all clear.
Some horses still pass manure with serious colic — so poo does NOT always mean the colic has resolved.

If you’re worried — call early - 0427 072 095. You are NEVER overreacting when it comes to colic 💙

5 Ways to protect your horse's skin